ISLAMABAD: The new United States minister to Pakistan, Donald Blome, on Monday gestured Washington’s intention to move on from the governance change contestation by engaging in a robust two-way communication with the country’s government, political parties, and civil society.
Ambassador Blome, who arrived in Pakistan late last month, has taken over the charge of the US charge at a time of unique challenges and openings.
Though anti-American sentiments run deep in Pakistani society, the passions got inflamed after former high minister Imran Khan contended that he was ousted through a US conspiracy for governance change and ran a mass crusade calling for ‘ freedom ’ from ‘ slaves of foreign powers ’. This heightened anti-American sentiment has, thus, come the foremost challenge for Washington in executing its foreign policy pretensions in Pakistan.
But also, newer openings have also surfaced. Ambassador Blome — the first full-time American envoy in Islamabad after a gap of nearly four times — assumed the charge of his assignment when Afghanistan is supposedly no more a dominant issue in the bilateral ties following last time’s pullout of US forces from there at the end of 20- time-long war — the longest in American history.
Ambassador Blome, in an interview with Dawn, reiterated the rejection of Mr. Khan’s governance change ’ allegation and said Washington was “ veritably clear ” about that.
“ Still, I suppose the stylish thing we can do going forward is to keep engaging across all situations of Pakistani society, as we’ve for the once 75 times! ” he said, adding the engagement wouldn’t be limited just with the government but will extend to political leaders, the business community, civil society, and the youth.
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In this two-way communication, he said, he’ll “ hear to and understand ” what’s passing then and “ convey that understanding ” to Washington and at the same time share US “ views and positions as easily and as transparently as possible ” with cult then.
Beyond polarisation in the domestic politics on US ties, the new government in Islamabad has always been open to revitalizing bilateral relations. The first occasion that came in its way in the shape of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assignation for Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto- Zardari for attending a food security conference at the United Nations was settled.
Mr. Bhutto- Zardari and Mr. Blinken also met on the sidelines of the conference in New York on May 18, which was the first loftiest position of face-to-face contact between the two sides in months.
Ambassador Blome bared that “ a number of follow-ups” were being planned on the base of the docket set by the two foreign ministers at their meeting.
“ I’ll do some of that then, and I anticipate we will see a variety of US callers to Pakistan in the coming months to make on it further, ” he said.
In what appears to be a step towards the resumption of structured bilateral dialogue that has been suspended for a long, the two sides are set to launch the US- Pakistan Health Dialogue in Washington for heightening their cooperation on health issues.
The minister recalled the “ cooperation ” between the two countries against the global Covid- 19 epidemic as a good illustration of cooperation on health.
US had bestowed further than 61 million Covid vaccine boluses,$ 69m in fiscal support, and an fresh$ 9m in in- kind backing to support Pakistan’s fight against the epidemic.
“ We can make on this work not just in backing but through growing private sector hookups in the health field, ” the envoy added.
important like the emphasis on investment and trade during the foreign ministers ’ meeting, Ambassador Blome too said that he was “ committed to promoting farther development of our bilateral trade and investment ”.
He further linked health, climate, and education as other areas where cooperation could be expanded.
But, at the same time, it was too egregious from the discussion with him that counterterrorism cooperation will remain a defining point of this relationship for some time to come.
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Ambassador Blome said the US was seeking “ a strong cooperation with Pakistan on counterterrorism ” and expects Islamabad “ sustained ” and magpie action against all militant and terrorist groups.
The minister was specifically asked to clarify if the US pursuit for strengthening counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan included accommodations over drone grounding access near Afghanistan, but he avoided a direct reply.
“ The United States is committed to precluding the reemergence of terrorist pitfalls, in Afghanistan or anywhere differently. Fighting terrorism is global trouble. We’ll continue to engage mates, abettors, and crucial countries around the world on how stylish to address terrorism, ” he said while pertaining to President Joe Biden’s statement in which he’d talked about developing capabilities and planting means in the region to help the re-emergence of terrorists from over the horizon.
In Afghanistan, the envoy said, the US would work with Pakistan to “ press the Taliban to help terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base for external operations and to meet the transnational community’s prospects — including pressing the Taliban to cleave to their counterterrorism commitments, form an inclusive government, and cover the rights of women and girls ”.
Ambassador Blome ate Pakistan’s “ ongoing sweats in fighting the backing of terrorism and prioritising anti-money laundering measures ”.
His reflections come ahead of Financial Action Task Force’s grand meeting in Berlin on June 14. The global lawless backing watchdog will review the progress made by Pakistan, which has been on its ‘ slate list ’ since June 2018.
